Rachel Cox took over the New Inn in January 2009, the first business of her own after managing pubs for 18 years. Rachel, manager Toby and the rest of the team have made some significant changes to the New Inn since they started. “The menu was pretty basic, it was reasonably popular with locals, but there was not much variety and there were no special boards, so we have implemented a new menu which has been hugely successful. We have also broadened the variety of wine available to compliment the food we now sell” Toby explains.
The interior of the New Inn has had some changes made too, including the addition of three TV screens which enables them to show key sporting events such as Wimbledon and the rugby. The main change that Rachel and Toby have made was to tackle the garden. By investing around £3,000 they have transformed it from being overgrown, and unloved, to a beautiful refuge for Salisbury shoppers. Toby designed the garden himself and he carried out the work with eight local customers of the pub. All of the hard work that has been put into the New Inn by Rachel, Toby and their team has resulted in an increase in sales of 40% in the first year.
“The best part about being a Business Partner is being my own boss. It takes a lot of hard work to run your own business. The four most important aspects are paying your bills on time, never running out of beer, looking after your customers and having a good relationship with your Area Manager”, advises Rachel.
We are delighted to say that, nearly three years after taking on the New Inn, Rachel and her team won Public House of the Year at our Gala Dinner and Awards in November 2011.
